President Donald Trump would beat former Vice President Joe Biden in Texas by 4 percentage points if the election were held today, according to a new poll from the University of Texas and the Texas Politics Project.
Ross Ramsey
Ross Ramsey co-founded The Texas Tribune in 2009 and served as its executive editor until his retirement in 2022. He wrote regular columns on politics, government and public policy. Before joining the Tribune, he was editor and co-owner of Texas Weekly. He did a 28-month stint in government with the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. Before that, he reported for the Houston Chronicle, the Dallas Times Herald, as a Dallas-based freelancer for regional and national magazines and newspapers, and for radio stations in Denton and Dallas.
Posted in
Coronavirus in Texas
Analysis: A rising commotion in Texas’ scattershot response to the pandemic
As Texas leaders struggle to find a balanced response to the pandemic and the lagging state economy, the suggestions for what they ought to do — friendly and hostile — are pouring in.
Posted in
Coronavirus in Texas
Analysis: Governing in reaction mode, and always a beat or two behind
The pandemic has been with us since late winter, but state leaders seem to have forgotten something they already know from other disasters: You can get ready when a storm is coming, or wait until it blows your roof off.
Posted in
Coronavirus in Texas
Analysis: A persistent coronavirus thriving against an inconsistent Texas government
It’s a déjà vu moment, with the Texas government making some of the same moves to curb the spread of the coronavirus that it adopted in March — and started to get rid of a month later. The virus is spreading, and the remedies are back.
Posted in
Coronavirus in Texas
Analysis: An accidental lesson on public health and politics in a pandemic
Texas government is going in two directions at once, with Gov. Greg Abbott blowing a whistle on rising COVID-19 numbers while top education officials detail plans to open public schools for in-person classes this fall.
Posted in
Coronavirus in Texas
Analysis: Masking the real problem — a deadly virus
More people are out and about, and coronavirus cases are rising in Texas. But there’s an easy way to limit the spread of the virus, if people will set their politics aside: masks.
Posted in
Coronavirus in Texas
Analysis: A government of, by and for — but without the people
The Texas Legislature is supposed to convene in January — and would ordinarily be holding public hearings on various issues between now and then. That begs a question: Is there a safe way to open the Texas Capitol to lawmakers and the public?
Posted inState Government
Analysis: For foster children in Texas, a state of despair
Texas isn’t properly protecting the children in foster care, according to federal court monitors examining a system that’s been dangerous to kids — in the view of the courts — for at least the last decade.
Posted in
Coronavirus in Texas
Analysis: In some places in Texas, sales tax revenues have risen during the pandemic
When Texas stores closed and social distancing began at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, sales naturally dropped. So did sales taxes, and local and state government revenues. But not everywhere, it turns out.
Posted in
Coronavirus in Texas
Analysis: Casting nervous looks at Texas’ medical charts as numbers worsen
State leaders knew COVID-19 cases would rise as businesses and other public places opened, but steady increases over the last two weeks have everyone watching the numbers very closely.
